STAY YOU
Hotch sat with his wife happily on the couch. They had just finished a family dinner and their twins had just been tucked in with their brothers, Jack, Hotch's son from his first marriage, and Henry, JJ's son.
He was supposed to be doing paperwork while JJ flicked through the channels, running her fingers through his hair with her free hand. He was happy and proud to declare something that he didn't particularly enjoy in his last year or so of marriage to Hailey: Jennifer Jareau was his wife and he loved her. She had been perfect from the moment he had met her and he was glad she never had to, nor wanted to, change for him. Aaron Hotchner loved everything about his wife
He loved that she was the communications liaison for the team; he loved the way she spoke, the way the words just rolled off her tongue. She looked so at ease when she was up at the podium at the press conference.
He thought she sounded so beautiful even when what she said wasn't. He remembered when she cut her finger the other day. When the 'F' word slipped out of her mouth, he had to smile. It was so unlike JJ to swear that it still sounded so good.
He loved how, even through the darkest times, the worst cases; JJ was always there for the families, the detectives, the team. She rarely let the anger and hate that they saw faze her and when they got home to their four beautiful children, the darkness was over taken by the light and JJ had no reason to break down.
He loved that she was so alive and energetic. That on the coldest Saturday nights, she would dress up as though she was going to a bar and expected the heat to get to her, her hair pulled back, her make up complimenting her complexion, when all she was really going to be doing was curling up next to him and watching an old movie or comedy or action or romance that he hated.
He loved that whenever he called her, she always changed her voice, pretending to be someone else. It wasn't just him she did it with; her sister's suffered the game as well, and occasionally Emily or Garcia.
He was so happy she was so willing to let him in her life, willing to let them have a life together. He feared that after her last romance with Will, Henry's father, she would never, or could never, love again. He held out asking her out for fear it would be too painful, for fear of putting her through it. When Hailey left him, his routine had become wake up, go to work, work, work, late into the night, go home and sleep. JJ had gotten on with life. She had been so strong for her son and had been strong enough for both she and Hotch that they could start a new life together. He admired his wife, just as much as he loved her. He knew no one could pull through anything like Jennifer Jareau.
Another thing he knew as he bent down to kiss her on the top of her head. He would always want Jennifer Jareau to stay exactly the way the she is.